Boilermakers

United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers, earlier the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders

Background information

The Society was formed in 1834 as the Society of Friendly Boilermakers. It changed its name to the United Friendly Boilermakers' Society in 1845, and to the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders in 1852, when the Scottish Society of Boilermakers and the Provident Society of Journeymen Boilermakers of Great Britain were merged into the Society. It was the principal union of boilermakers and steel shipbuilders. In 1952 it changed its name to the United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers. With effect from 1 October 1962 it amalgamated with the Associated Blacksmiths', Forge and Smithy Workers' Society to form the United Society of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers (see below).

Owing to the difficulties of using the membership registers described below, it is recommended that these reports are searched first for references to individual members. The monthly reports include lists of recently entered members arranged by branch and including their registered numbers, and also bonus claims describing industrial accidents to members. There are also some obituaries of recently deceased members. This series was continued by the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (see below).

It will be virtually impossible to find a member in all but the last five of these registers without first knowing his registered number. The first register in the series begins with a list of members on the superannuation fund in 1872, in which the earliest year of admission is 1834, but it seems that few if any of the other entries in this series pre-date c1870. Information entered under registered numbers can relate either to successive changes to a particular member's status or to more than one member, since it appears that numbers were re-used following the death or resignation of the member to whom they were originaly assigned. The use of a number for one member only may be more prevalent in later volumes and seems to apply generally to entries relating to apprentices. An attempt has been made in our catalogue to indicate the covering dates of initial registrations in each volume, but since the entries are usually not in chronological order dates falling outside these ranges may not have been noted. From MSS.192/BM/2/2/11 (covering c1906-1940s) onwards there are indications that periodic batches of entries were made roughly alphabetically by branch. Sequences of numbers suffixed 'A' to denote apprentices also appear sporadically. The five smaller unnumbered volumes at the end of the series covering 1944-1946 (MSS.192/BM/2/2/24-28) are much more clearly ordered chronologically.

Arranged by registered number, which is roughly chronologial, then alphabetically by branch.

Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers, earlier the United Society of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers

Background information

The United Society of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers was formed with effect from 1 October 1962 by the amalgamation of the United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers with the Associated Blacksmiths', Forge and Smithy Workers' Society. From 1 October 1963 it became the Amalgmated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers when the Shipconstructors' and Shipwrights' Association joined the amalgamation.

Monthly reports and detailed accounts of benefits paid to members and names of deceased members and members' wives , 1962-1982 (MSS.192/BM/4/1/85a-4/2/6)

A continuation of the series begun by the United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers (see above). The monthly reports have lists of members and apprentices admitted, with abbreviations denoting the members' trades, arranged by branch. The lists of superannuated members give the dates of entering the society.

Clearance book recording transfers of members between branches, Jan 1971-Jan 1973 (MSS.192/BM/2/4/1)

Modern Records Centre
University Library
University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom